Author Archives: Olivia

DUM DUM GIRLS: Covers.

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When a band/singer covers a song and it sounds exactly like the original, it’s pretty dull. When they take the song and make it their own, that’s when you know you’ve found something rather special. Cat Power’s covers usually sound better than the original because she seems to put a lot more into it. She’s someone who makes it easy to pick up on every feeling imaginable when you hear her sing, whether it be her own song or a cover.

Dum Dum Girls have covered a number of songs and I probably should just list them all to make it easier (for myself) but I’ve managed to narrow it down to a solid 5. I’ve looked over it a few times and so far, I don’t think I want to change it but there’s still time.

Sorrow (The McCoys)- Aside from being known for their massive hit, Hang On Sloopy, The McCoys sang the gorgeous Sorrow which has been covered by many mod bands in the 60s. Dee Dee’s take on the song is stripped back and her voice adds vulnerability to it which is slightly missing from any other version I’ve heard. All this song does is show you how delicate Dee Dee’s voice is and how she makes you feel she wrote this song for you to really REALLY feel in your gut. With all songs Dum Dum Girls have covered, they manage to make you feel like the song was never created by another, and it is such a hard thing to do. It’s a hard thing to do well,and they truly exceed any expectations someone may have from a cover song.

Sight Of You (Pale Saints)- Their cover of this makes me want to take a long walk through New York City in the bitter cold during a blizzard. They make this shoegaze classic into a psychedelic whirl, you feel as if you’ve dropped acid and are in the late 80s/early 90s at some kind of Mancunian party with The Stone Roses. It is a stunning cover, it’s one of my favourite covers ever because like with The McCoys cover, you really do feel as if Dee Dee sat down one day and poured her heart and soul into this timeless song. Sight Of You is one of those songs (for better and worse) that makes you think of someone your brain shouldn’t. It happens to us all, it doesn’t matter who you are. There’s less pain in their version but more sadness. Sure the two are linked, but pain and sadness can be so different at times which is why I love their version of this song. It’s a euphoric gem, DDG style.

Be My Baby (The Ronettes)- Maybe I shouldn’t mention this one because the quality of the video online isn’t too great, but Be My Baby is easily one of the greatest songs ever written and many who have covered it have really not done it justice at all. What caused me to become a fan and fall freely in love with Dum Dum Girls music was their ability to sound like a 60s girl band, mixing wall of sound with a strong Punk DIY ethic. I adore that so much, and a lot of bands I love manage to capture that feel in their music. Personally, I feel Dee Dee’s vocals are wonderful to listen to because she reminds me so much of singers I love such as Ronnie Spector, Shirley Manson and Patti Smith. When you see DDG live, you can see the attitude and strength of those singers when she performs. If anyone can do this song justice, it is Dum Dum Girls.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)- For me, covering a song by The Smiths or Morrissey is sacrilege. But, I can make exceptions when the cover is equally as great as the original. The Smiths version makes you feel alright with feeling lost, vulnerable and alone. Dum Dum Girls cover is a breath of life. It isn’t as sullen as The Smiths, but there is something equally fragile about it. There is no other band that I can think of that could make this song feel right as a cover. This song is one I hold dear to me, like most fans of The Smiths/Morrissey do. If they were to cover another song by them I would definitely love to hear them take on Please,Please,Please Let Me Get What I Want. There’s no doubt in my mind that Dee Dee could hammer home the vulnerability and sacredness of that song. They could probably cause you to breakdown if they covered I Know It’s Over.

Zombie (The Cranberries)- I found this clip on YouTube by accident, and sometimes accidents are wonderful things. This live clip is bloody brilliant. Dee Dee gets the pain across in this song, Zombie is full of pain and rage. Dee Dee unleashes this so beautiful with Andrew, Sandy, Jules and Malia adding fuel to the fire. This is definitely my favourite cover they’ve done so far. You can tell they’ve played this song over and over, and have paid close attention to every tiny little detail in the song and created their own version which doesn’t shy away too much from the original. I would love them to put this in their live shows as it really shows how strong they are as a band. Dee Dee has a delicate voice, and is so clear. With this cover of Zombie, even a non fan of the band would fall in love. Although it doesn’t take much from the original, they all manage to convey the message of the song and make it still as powerful and relevant more than before.

Of course it is worth mentioning that their version of Oh Those Eyes (The Vagrants) and Baby Don’t Go (Sonny Bono) are nothing short of stunning, and there are so many songs I’d love to hear them take on. In particular I’d love to hear them do a version of I Think I’m Paranoid and/or The Trick Is To Keep Breathing, and probably You Look So Fine by Garbage. That would be perfect. Ask The Angels by Patti Smith, I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses and Who Loves The Sun by Velvet Underground, maybe something by Nick Cave for sure. I could go on and on, but you get my point. They just take songs and make you forget they are covers. Not only does it make them stand out as a band but it just makes me love their music even more.

LITTLE DEATH MACHINE-Pale.

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When a band changes lineups or go for a slightly different sound, you wouldn’t be wrong for being a bit dubious. I guess it is human nature to be wary of change. However, for the most part it is completely fine and there’s nothing to worry about.

I first wrote about Little Death Machine maybe two years ago now. I heard Hit Me and it was so aggressive and so loud, I instantly became fond of them. This two piece became another reason as to why I love duos and stand by the fact that they make the best music, for the most part.

Little Death Machine no longer have Clare on drums, and they are now a three-piece. Does it work? Of course, it is like nothing has changed. And when you listen to Pale, you are still aware that you are listening to Little Death Machine.

Daniel’s vocals on Pale are eerie. The guitar sounds a mash-up of Warpaint ethereal bliss mixed with something massively terrifying. Think early IAMX and The Cure, and you’ll get it. There’s a break down near the end of the song that just sends you away. I can’t tell you where you’ll go, it’ll be different to the next person who hears it. But note that it will be some place tranquil and sacred. The best kind of place.

If you feel like you’re running from someone or something, this is the perfect song to escape to. Sometimes it is really okay to fee lost because you find songs like this that drive you home, wherever home may be. It doesn’t have to be a conventional idea of a home. It can be a beach, a record store, a bar, a book shop. Anywhere you want it to be, just let it take you.

Songs like Pale don’t come around often. They are to be played on your own when you’re in need of something no person can possibly give you. Songs like Pale have come from the soul and smack you in the unmentionables. They get you right in the gut- above and beyond. How a band like Little Death Machine aren’t massive, I have no idea. But that’s the appeal. They are for a certain breed, but damn near anyone can relate to the context of Pale.

You can see their songs come to life next week at Number 3 in Deptford on the 27th. The show is their single launch, and following this they will be supporting Darkness Falls at Hoxton Bar & Grill on 29th April.

Pale is out now via Glasstone Records.

BOSCO ROGERS.

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With it getting slightly warmer (and in London that means soon people will be wearing shorts and everyone will smell of sweat when on the tube. Socks and sandals will emerge, reinforcing how uncomfortable the summer sometimes makes me.)

To ease you into warmer weathers, Bosco Rogers are the band to do so. They have a proper summertime feel to their sound, an old 60s real Rock & Roll thing going on also. They make you want to put on a Hawaiian shirt and head to the nearest beach.

Bosco Rogers manage to merge a bit of Psyche, Garage Rock and all in between in their songs to make you feel like you are in another decade. Basically, they make you feel as if you’ve gone back to the 60s and turned your back on the future. These guys know how to mix something old with something new.

Their Googoo EP came out in December and is full of songs to make your mind escape to the beach. They’ll make you want to go on a road trip that lasts a crazy long time because as we know, real life is dull for the most part. Solace is found in music, as are different worlds. Worlds collide and fall apart, music is the glue that keeps us together.

Googoo consists of 4 songs and coming in at around 10 minutes, and of course it leaves you wanting more. EPs are a massive tease aren’t they. You drive yourself mental because you want more but all you have are these 4 songs to keep you going until next time. Bosco Rogers deserve to be on your favourite new band list because they are massively exciting and quite frankly, are different to a lot of things around right now. They’ve got something about them that reminds me of bands such as The Vagrants, Count Five and The Pretty Things- three bands that are so important to music. You cannot help but smile and bob along as you listen to the songs on Googoo. It was easily one of the highlights of last year.

These ruffians are the ones to put you in the mood for the summer. I think a lot of their gigs at the moment are in the Brighton area, they’re worth the trip. Their short and to the point songs have hints of Punk mixed with sunny dispositions. I think they’re just bloody wonderful and I cannot wait to hear more from them. Googoo is just a hint of how great Del and Barth are. Just to lure you in, and lure you they shall with their flowery pop-esque melodies.

You can listen to their EP here:

The artwork was designed by the Queen of Keys, Robin Eisenberg (Crocodiles keyboardist) and is out via Bleepmachine. Enjoy!

ORLANDO SEALE AND THE SWELL.

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It doesn’t matter about the kind of music you expose yourself to and fall in love with, what matters is how it makes you feel. However, the only person it should matter to is you. What you like, another will hate and vice versa. Make music your own.

Some singers can get to the core of a feeling, and even if you’ve not experienced it, you feel it too. It goes beyond being powerful. It goes beyond moving you. It takes you deep into the unknown and stays with you. Orlando Seale is one of those guys who does this.

He and his band have been labelled as the male version of Florence And The Machine. This is a bold statement, and was coined by beautiful weirdo Noel Fielding. As someone who loves Florence a lot (one of our pet rabbits is named after her) I was a bit dubious about this statement. I remember the rawness of her debut, Lungs and being terrified and in awe of such beauty and despair in the lyrics. I can see why Orlando has been given this label.

His lyrics are heartfelt and full of the feelings we try to push down. All Of The Dogs has a line that just hits you, “Sometimes I want to hurt you.” We’ve all been close to someone who makes us feel this way. They drag out the ugly feelings in us and compress the good. They can pull the good out, but it only touches the surface. He has this gorgeous way of taking you back to a time full of pain and dislike for yourself and what you were becoming, he allows you to face it. Albeit a few years too late to undo the damage, but you know to never do it again. Carry the burden and never let on what it did, what you did. This is all in one song.

Prior to making music, Orlando was living in Los Angeles and his girlfriend at the time lent him an old Eliot Smith guitar. She then left him. He left Los Angeles. He returned back to London and something charged through his songs giving them some kind of menacing tone. Songs that are romantically brutal, crushing and adoring. Like I mentioned about Kingsley Chapman And The Murder this week, Orlando too writes unconventional love songs. My idea of love and your idea of love are different. Some go to the typical sides, I’ll take the dark Nick Cave side of love. Always. Feel it and feel it to the core until it burns through you.

There is so much soul and power reeling through his music. You know that this is a band that HAVE to be seen live. There’s a lot of them on stage, but not in an annoying Arcade Fire kind of way. A cult like feel almost, you’ll chant along and leave no longer questioning all those doubts in your mind.

Sadly I missed his show in December at The Lexington. I probably had a migraine. I have more of them than a person probably should, and it gets in the way. But this is the kind of music to take you somewhere bloody brilliant and it makes you feel entirely fearless. Go for a run or something whilst listening to Aeroplanes, you’ll feel invincible.

You can listen to their tracks here:

The band have a two date residency at one of the best venues in London this month at the Sebright Arms on the 25th and 26th March.

LOS TRASGOS MUERTOS.

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Manchester. The home of music. Kick anyone in the teeth who disagrees (to an extent.) It has some of  the best venues, the best bands (past and present) and the accent is the best in the North West, even if Manchester is on the wrong side of the Pennines it is still a brilliant city.

A lot of bands I love and write about are from Manchester. I don’t go looking for them, it’s just coincidence that this happens.

After waking up at 5am with a bastard of a migraine (I now feel like someone has punched me everywhere) I feel alright enough to listen to something moderately loud and brutal. Ready?

Los Trasgos Muertos are from the grimy and dark streets of Manchester. Hoodlums with balaclavas luring you into alleyways to sell you their music and to claim your soul. This may or may not be true. The band members have names that could either be friends of Jack The Ripper or the potential to be bad but good superheroes. We’ve got Von Beek, ‘Captain’ Reed and Il Fleishe. Names that just make you want to know the band, and bloody love them with their leather, battered gloves around your neck screaming their songs at you.

How do they sound?

A thousand furies echoing in the horrors of your mind. A gut-ridden plague ripping through you with no hopes of being sane at the end of it. Los Trasgos Muertos are loveable swines who make gloriously decadent music. If you want something creepy yet thrilling, then these guys are for you. They are loud, bloody hell they are loud. They are the kind of band that make you want to ditch everything, move to Manchester and throw yourselves into the Manchester music scene. Or this could just be me. That’s alright. The best kind of noise is the noise that is unapologetically loud and fearless. This is all Los Trasgos Muertos are.

The Psyche sub-genre (if you want to be like that about it) is brilliant. It is full of mind-blowing brilliance that allows you to free your mind and to feel something from the gut and beyond. The good stuff takes you on trips that nothing else on this planet could, and you don’t want to come down from it. Real life remains a mundane blur, but you come home and play something like these guys and you’re away. Where do you go? Who knows. You just go there.

Los Tragos Muertos have a cult-like feel to them. Join them. Give them your soul.

You can stream their new record, Eponymous EP right here: https://play.spotify.com/artist/5oQAKnW2TgWsVGLN0Kf1jE

Play it as loud as you can stand, go somewhere entirely lucid and eerie. Be free, get free and stay free. Go.

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER- Olympians.

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Things take time. For great things, you sure have to wait. It’s okay to wait because you know you’ll end up being exposed to something wonderful.

Kingsley used to be in a band called The Chapman Family, a band that were astounding in their time. If you ever saw them live, you would have seen just how captivating and terrifying they were. There is something quite disturbing about being in awe of a person tying a mic cord around their neck and belting out such glorious songs. You cling onto the words more.

The Chapman Family were loud in a brutal way, in a way that could probably divide a room with bottles flying and blood everywhere. The music he is now making is still loud, but in a way that demands you to listen and you cannot walk away from it. It’s every part Nick Cave, Scott Walker with the sentiment of Morrissey. There is so much heart and power in their debut song, Olympian. For those idiots who claim nothing moves them anymore or that new music isn’t too great- turn off commercial radio, seek and you shall find. You don’t need an overpaid twat to tell you if something is good or shit.

http://soundcloud.com/kingsleychapman/olympians

Olympian is a 5 minute ballad. A murderous ballad with so much going on, in the most gorgeous way. The sax adds something really euphoric to the song. The keys on the piano are hit in a “you better fucking love me and listen” kind of way. If you want conventional, step away. This is a beautiful and unconventional love song. Those are the best kind. Kingsley’s voice on this song is enough to make any sane person regard him as one of the best vocalists around, and he’s a fantastic lyricist. He’s studied the greats and in returned has created nothing short of a masterpiece. Kingsley is the only person to sing a Morrissey song just as well as Morrissey (TCF covered Everyday Is Like Sunday.)

Blood, sweat and tears ooze out of this 5 minute euphoric delight. It isn’t typical and it isn’t a song you play once, and carry on with the rest of your day. I’ve been listening to it for the past 20 minutes or so, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to listen to anything else now. Olympian is a song of comfort for those who aren’t attracted to feelings that seem “normal” but still seek the security of things that seem “normal” to others.

He’s done it. He’s made something bloody fantastic and I’m proud of him. If you’re getting married (be careful) then have this as your first dance. Or just play it in the company of nobody else, hold yourself and sway. You’ve got options.

You can find more information about the band here: https://www.facebook.com/kingsleychapman1 and here: http://www.kingsleychapman.com/

CROCODILES-Crybaby Demon.

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The most handsome men in music are back. Crocodiles, the loveliest guys you’ll ever meet are back with a new record called Boys out in a few months, but first, to get you ready for this stunning record (I’ve heard it and no other record is going to be as important as Boys this year) they have just put out the video to Crybaby Demon.

Crybaby Demon is a trashy and smutty number. If any band can make you feel violated and dirty in the best way possible, then it is easily Crocodiles. With Charlie’s unapologetic sneering guitar sounds and Brandon’s smouldering vocals, Crybaby Demon is the perfect Crocodiles song to lose your mind to. Sure we can call start mini riots to I Wanna Kill, but Crybaby Demon is the year’s most trashiest anthem. Gloriously perverse and weird.

The video to Crybaby Demon is directed by Tito Echevarria (Young Boys/SISU) and it feels like one of those obscure films that are on TV at 3am when you’re too wired to sleep. It feels like every lucid dream you’ve ever had. A real sleazy and utterly charming video that brings the song to life, a perfect fit.

It is fairly obvious that I could write about Crocodiles until I ran out of words or something equally dramatic. There is something massively relatable about their lyrics and something freeing within their music. They take you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. I just bloody love these guys and cannot wait for everyone to hear Boys and for the tour to start.

Crocodiles are one of the few bands that have that real Punk feel to their music and how they do it. Their DIY ethic is evident in all they do, and that alone demands respect. If you’ve never seen them live, GO. Their shows are wild and carefree. The London crowd that go see them are the least dickish London crowds around (I’ve been to enough shows in London to be tired of seeing people just stand still when exposed to brilliant live music.) It’s just like one big party and the love the fans have for Crocodiles is just bloody lovely. Hopefully I’ve sold it to you!

Boys is out via Zoo Music on 11th May. Outcasts, deviants and rebels rejoice because this record is for YOU.

SPECTRES.

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The best kind of music is the kind that terrifies you. You play it before you go to sleep and before you know it, you are having the most painful and obscure dreams possible.  It terrifies you, but you don’t jolt yourself awake. You want to see where it takes you and how long you can stomach it for.

A large chunk of the records I own have become important to me because of the artwork. The front cover can sometimes define the mood of a record, and Dying by Spectres full backs this idea up, but the beauty is that you must take it your own way. When you stare at the front cover, a load of ideas run through your mind as to what is going on. Is he killing himself in the bath? Is he being killed? How is he feeling? There is terror and mystery. Two things which can sum up Spectres sound.

Dying is a great record. No. It is a phenomenal record. I can’t tell you the ideal situation to listen to it, but you MUST zone everything out and ignore everyone around you when you listen to it.

Ideally this would have been some kind of review of their record, but I must tell you all I possibly can about how they make the listener feel, or maybe just me. Who knows. Last night they played The Lexington. I had every desire to go to the show after work, but I was off sick again with another migraine. Pretty sure they would have cured it.

Spectres are loud, brutal, dark, sinister, cold and creepy. It is everything I want from a band. This Bristol based band remind me of bands I adore such as Sleep and Noothgrush. There’s some kind of doom/sludge thing happening here with distorted sounds a la My Bloody Valentine. Heavy guitars, menacing drums and haunting vocals. Massively sinister, think a slightly calmer version of Pop.1280. They’re my favourite new band, make them yours too.

Their songs feel like really twisted and proper evil horror films. The kind of films that won’t be shown in chain cinemas. Spectres have this brilliant way of demanding your attention without being pricks. A lot of bands want all of your attention, and it comes across quite needy and irritating. Spectres know you’ll turn onto them eventually so they don’t need to plead you. This is the kind of band I love.

I love when you find a band that make you feel as if you’ve gone too far or you’re damaging your ears by listening to them. I don’t want arty farty love songs that mean nothing to me. I want brutally charged songs that would raise a concern with anyone who claims to know me. I want terror to fill my brain as soon as I hit play. They take you away from the horrors (and dullness) of every day life. They take you to some forbidden place, an unconventional meeting place for those who do not wish to be part of what they are constantly sold.

I wish I could have seen them last night as I probably would have more to say, I would have seen first hand what the atmosphere is like. But, I guess a strong band can maintain that tension regardless, I’m 100% sure Spectres can do that, and DO do that.

Everything about Spectres is mesmerising, I cannot pin point one thing that stands out. I’m in love with the artwork, the guitars, the noise, the vocals, the loudness, how a sound like this cannot be tamed. They’ve magically and majestically created the sound to your nightmares, and being “shit your pants” terrified has never sounded so good.

Their record is easily going to be one of the highlights of the year, and a sound like this just doesn’t go away. It gets bigger and louder.

BEST COAST- California Nights.

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There are some songs that when you listen to, nothing can touch you. Every sad and horrible feeling you are carrying around fades away. A song that just becomes a part of you, a very important part of you. It doesn’t matter who sings it, just as long as you feel it.

Songs that take you away, I feel, are the best ones. Real life is dull and repetitive. How do you escape it? Through headphones. You take a song that whisks you away to some place so calming and your own piece of perfection. You can find it anywhere. You might already have that song, if you do then remember you can always have more.

For me, the song that sums up everything surrounding escapism and daydreaming is California Nights by Best Coast. It is 5 minutes of sheer bliss. I urge you to take 5 minutes out of your day to zone out and listen to this gorgeous song. I’ve been a fan of Best Coast for years, and I say with confidence that this is their greatest song to date. Their debut record holds a lot of sentimental value to me, but I am willing to move on from it and cling onto California Nights with all I have. It sounds nothing like their previous songs/records, but still holds firmly onto that beach/dream-esque atmosphere. Best Coast are a band you listen to when on the beach on a hot day with nothing else to do. Pretty hard to do that when it’s freezing cold out, so you play it on repeat and allow it warm your bones in the comfort of your own home.

Listen to it on the journey to/from work to imagine you are anywhere you want to me, place it at work, on your lunch break, before you go to bed. It doesn’t matter, all that matters is you allowing yourself to be taken on this ethereal trip that you don’t want to come back from.

I wanted to write a massive essay on how this song makes me feel and such, but my words will not and cannot do the song justice. I heard it last week and it’s all I’ve been listening to. It’s all I want to listen to. Some songs win you over instantly and become a huge and vital part of you, that’s exactly what California Nights has gone and done. It is one of those songs that reinforces your love for a band, for music.

Have it on repeat, and go somewhere nobody can disturb you.

PINS- Too Little Too Late.

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Middle fingers and glitter. Sometimes you just have to tell someone to fuck off. As satisfying as it is to have a sweary rant in your head (all of the time), sometimes you have to just let it all out. Don’t ever feel bad about it.

PINS are back, and their new song Too Little Too Late is a different sound to what Girls Like Us sounds like. Both equally sublime, but wonderfully different.

Their new record, Wild Nights is out 8th June via Bella Union and going by their show last week, it’ll probably be in my Top 3 records of the year (number 1 has already been claimed by Crocodiles) They are supporting Sleater-Kinney in March and Drenge in April. They will also be playing a show at The Lexington on 27th May.

The track listing for Wild Nights is as follows:

Baby Bhangs
Young Girls
Curse These Dreams
Oh Lord
Dazed By You
Got It Bad
Too Little Too Late
House of Love
If Only
Molly
Everyone Says

Too Little Too Late will be released 30th March.